Return to the Brains On Trial series and reconsider the fictional events and actual research it discusses in light of what you’ve learned over the course of the semester. Your paper should address the central questions of the course:
1) What makes the defendant’s actions wrong?
Jimmy wasn’t found guilty of attempted murder by the jury, but what is it that makes Jimmy’s actions morally wrong (or right)? Argue for the right way of evaluating actions and demonstrate why this theory is superior to alternatives.
2) Was the defendant given a just punishment?
Jimmy is sentenced to several years in prison by the judge, but what is it that makes this a just or unjust punishment? Apply what you’ve learned about the moral justification for the death penalty and justice to defend your answer to the above question.